Racism runs rampant at Long Island aero firm: suit

A Long Island company that assembles parts for military and luxury aircraft is a hotbed of racism, a mechanic there claims.

The worker, Luis William Lentino-Rodriguez, says he’d worked less than a month at CPI Aerostructures when he allegedly heard his first slur: a night crew manager claiming, “The reason the company is going under is that they hire too many black and Hispanic people.”

“He said it right to me,” Lentino-Rodriguez told The Post.

“All I could think is, ‘Don’t you see my nametag?’”

That was four years ago, and the slurs, he claims, kept going from there.

Now, Lentino-Rodriguez’s lawyers have filed a complaint with the state Division of Human Rights accusing the Edgewood company of creating a hostile workplace.

A mechanic who drills and affixes rivets to the wings of $65 million Gulfstream private jets, Lentino-Rodriguez has been repeatedly denied chances at advance training and higher pay, his lawyers allege in the complaint.

He’s also been given fabricated bad performance scores, been denied overtime and been intentionally forced to work alongside hostile coworkers, the lawyers allege in the complaint.

“He has been subjected to verbal attacks on the factory floor by being called or referred to as a ‘Spic,’ referring to a racist slur for Spanish-Irish Catholics,” the complaint alleges.

At one point, Lentino-Rodriguez asked a coworker how he liked living in Massapequa.

“The coworker responded, ‘Great. There are no N——- or Spics!’” according to the complaint.

“The coworker was aware that Lentino is Dominican,” the complaint says.

At other points on the factory floor, superiors allegedly claimed aloud, “Mexicans and foreigners are ruining everything,” and used the “N” word and made “gang member” references concerning other black and Hispanic workers, he said.

Lentino-Rodriguez is mulling a lawsuit, said attorney Mahir Nisar.

“Given that this matter is in litigation, we are unfortunately not in a position to comment at this time, CPI Aero CFO Vincent Palazzolo told The Post.